Re: THE GAME OF GO AND THE CHINESE WAY OF WAR

[Peter Dorman]

OK, I'll bite.  Isn't go a Japanese game?  There were many articles written around the time of WWII on what this game might tell us about Japanese military strategy.  China had a version of chess that was much slower and more deliberate than what we know in the west -- a "river" runs through the board, etc. Peter (who played go for a while, but found it too complicated and settled for chess instead) Michael Perelman wrote: Didn't Mao write about Go? On Wed, Jul 07, 2004 at 02:32:26PM -0400, Funke Jayson J wrote: THE GAME OF GO AND THE CHINESE WAY OF WAR A close study of the Chinese board game "go" can provide insights into the distinctive Chinese conception of warfighting, according to a new study published by the Army War College. Go is the oldest board game in the world. With its emphasis on fluidity and long-term strategy, author David Lai says, it differs from chess (absolute conquest), poker (bluffing and risk-taking), boxing (force on force) and football. Go players compete, using black and white stones on multiple fronts, to encircle territory on the board, penetrating the other's territory in a dynamic contest that embodies principles articulated by Sun Tzu in his "Art of War." "A little knowledge and experience of the game of go will be a valuable addition to the American political and military wisdom; and it will take U.S. political and military leaders a long way in understanding the Chinese way of war and diplomacy." See "Learning From the Stones: A Go Approach to Mastering China's Strategic Concept, Shi," by David Lai, U.S. Army War College, May 2004: http://www.fas.org/man/eprint/lai.pdf Jayson Funke -- Michael Perelman Economics Department California State University Chico, CA 95929 Tel. 530-898-5321 E-Mail michael at ecst.csuchico.edu